Inspector Gadget (film)
Inspector Gadget is a 1999 Canadian live-action comedy film, loosely based on the series of the same name. It starred Matthew Broderick as the title character, along with Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw, Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny, Dabney Coleman as Chief Quimby. 5 new characters were introduced: Brenda Bradford (played by Joely Fisher), Kramer (played by Andy Dick), Sykes (played by Michael G. Hagerty), the Gadgetmobile (voiced by D. L. Hughley), Mayor Wilson (played by Cheri Oteri), RoboGadget (played by Matthew Broderick), and RoboBrenda (played by Joely Fisher). The film tells the story of how Inspector Gadget and Dr. Claw came to be in the cartoon. The film was produced by Caravan Pictures and DIC Entertainment and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. This was the last film produced by Caravan Pictures before it absorbed into Spyglass Entertainment. The film was followed by the 2003 direct-to-video sequel Inspector Gadget 2. Plot John Brown (Matthew Broderick) works as a security guard at the laboratory run by robotics scientist Brenda Bradford (Joely Fisher) and her father Artemus (René Auberjonois) in Riverton, Ohio. John wishes to join the Riverton Police Department, with support from his niece Penny (Michelle Trachtenberg). Brenda and Artemus create a life-like robotic foot, which they can control through thought as a prototype for the Gadget Program. However, tycoon Sanford Scolex (Rupert Everett) attacks the lab, kills Artemus, and steals the foot in his plan to replicate the technology, create an army of machines, and eventually conquer the world. John chases Sanford, but they are both severely wounded, with John being blown up in his car with a stick of dynamite thrown by Sanford whilst the criminal's left hand is crushed by a blue bowling ball blasted out of the latter's car, making him scream loudly in pain. Brenda decides to turn John into a completely cybernetic man using a computer chip which powers John's in-built gadgetry. John, now with the name of Inspector Gadget, joins the police squad, which irritates Chief Quimby (Dabney Coleman). He is also accompanied by his talking, intelligent car the Gadgetmobile (voiced by D. L. Hughley) and is forced to do community service assignments when wanting to investigate the Bradford case. Meanwhile, Sanford has been given a prosthetic claw and he renames himself Dr. Claw ("One word. Like Madonna.") after his minions try to give him different names, intending to build the first of his mechanical army using Brenda's technology and hires her to join his business. Unsatisfied with his mediocre work, Inspector Gadget decides to take up the Bradford case in secret and with help from Penny and the Gadgetmobile, he realizes that Dr. Claw is behind Artemus' murder. As he sneaks into Claw's headquarters, Claw completes an evil replica of Gadget named RoboGadget after hacking into Brenda's systems and stole her research. Gadget is captured by Claw and his minions Kramer (Andy Dick) and Sykes (Michael G. Hagerty), who shut down Gadget by removing and crushing his computer chip before dumping him in the junkyard. RoboGadget goes on a rampage across the city whilst Brenda, Penny, her and her uncle's dog Brain (voiced by Don Adams), and the Gadgetmobile come across Gadget in the junkyard. Brenda manages to revive Gadget by kissing him and the group rush to Riverton to stop Claw and RoboGadget. Gadget confronts RoboGadget and they fight across a bridge until Gadget pulls a cord on his counterpart's neck, which makes his head fall off and get chucked into the nearby river whilst his body runs off. Brenda is taken captive by Claw, who tries to make his escape in a helicopter. Gadget appears using his helicopter hat, but he's shot down and suspended from the landing gear of Claw's helicopter above the city. Gadget and Brenda are able to get away by using an umbrella to sail safely to the ground, with Claw following using a parachute. He is then promptly arrested by the police when Penny appears with Sykes, who hands over the robotic foot to Chief Quimby. Gadget and Brenda become a couple, but Dr. Claw promises Gadget that they'll meet again in the future. Cast * Matthew Broderick as John Brown / Inspector Gadget, the titular protagonist. / RoboGadget, the fourth antagonist. * Rupert Everett as Sanford Scolex / Dr. Claw, the main antagonist. * Joely Fisher as Brenda Bradford, the deuteragonist. / RoboBrenda, the fifth antagonist. * Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny Brown, the tritagonist. * Andy Dick as Kramer, the secondary antagonist. * Cheri Oteri as Mayor Wilson * Michael G. Hagerty as Sykes, the (former) tertiary antagonist. He is credited as Sikes in the film's end credits. * Dabney Coleman as Chief Quimby * René Auberjonois as Artemus Bradford * Frances Bay as Thelma Bodkin * Cliff Emmich as Out of Control Bus Driver * Jennifer Ingersoll, Haley Harper, Vichany Sam, Ivory Dilley, Brielle Blount, and Hailey Peitzman as In Terrible Jeopardy Young Girls * Brian Tibbetts as Amazed Boy on Bike * W. Bob Gaynor as Robotic Foot Dancer * Richard Penn as Fantastic Doctor * J. P. Manoux as Mayor's Sychophantic Assistant * Sam Brown as Officer McMurphy * Brad Blaisdell as Officer Johnson * Sonya Eddy as Hospital Secretary * Katsy Chappell as Kathleen M. Darcy as Nurses in Hallway * Brian George as Sore Guru * Alexander Witt as Wet, Green Businessman * E. J. Callahan as Hot Dog Vendor * Chad Parker as Assistant Car Thief * Frank Masi as Period Photographer * Mary Chris Wall as Snoopy News Anchor * Linda Cevallos and Lora-Lyn Peterson as Showgirls * Jim Thiel and Jeff Thiel as Twin Bartenders * Matthew Murray as Scared Witless Autograph Kid * Mark Leahy as Angry Father of Kid * Rick LaFonde as News Reporter * Tadao Tomomatsu as Bewildered Japanese Tourist * Adrienne Wehr as Waitress on Bridge * Richard Rauh as Man "Without" Toupee * Will Blount, Josh Kuhn, Kyle Ross Collinsworth, Jesse Yoshimura, and Michael Fossat as RoboBrendaerobics Rhythmless Group Voices * Don Adams as Brain, the secondary tritagonist. * D. L. Hughley as the Gadgetmobile Cast notes During the "Minions Anonymous" scene in the credits, the henchmen include Mr. T (who is credited as himself) and Richard Kiel (who is credited as the "Famous Big Guy with Silver Teeth," in reference to his role of James Bond's enemy Jaws), as well as Richard Lee-Sung as the "Famous Villain with Deadly Hat," Robert N. Bell as the "Famous Identifier of Sea Planes," Hank Barrera as the "Famous Native American Sidekick," Keith Morrison as the "Famous Assistant to Dr. Frankensomething," John Kim as the "Son Before Second Son," Jesse Yoshimura as the "Bane of the Bumbling, Idiotic Yet Curiously Successful French Detective's Existence," and Aaron Meyerson as himself. In the party scene, the party guests are played by executive producer Andy Heyward as Mr. D.I.C., Evelyn Heyward as the Trophy Bride, Amy Derrik as the Zoftig Woman, William Smith as the Little Man, David Page as the Flat Top Guy, Jacob Avnet as Flash, Dorothy Davis as Go Girl, and Huck Hackstedt as Mr. Gadget. Matthew Broderick (Inspector Gadget) and Dabney Coleman (Chief Quimby) previously worked together in WarGames. Production The film was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Los Angeles, California, with the ice castle-like main tower of Pittsburgh's PPG Place playing a central role. Reception Inspector Gadget was a moderate box office success with a worldwide gross of $134.4 million worldwide on a budget of $75 million. It made $75.9 million in its first 4 weeks. In the UK, it grossed just over £7 million. Despite the moderate box office success, the film received generally negative reviews from critics and viewers alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 21%, based on 62 reviews, with the consensus "Despite an abundance of eyecandy, the film doesn't amount to much." Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times stated that it "wastes a lot of good talent". In his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert said that fans were angered when Dr. Claw reveals himself in the movie. The Gadgetmobile The Gadgetmobile, designed by Brenda Bradford, is based on a 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible and has an artificial intelligence with a male persona. Among other things, "he" can camouflage himself, has a radar system to track Gadget's location (and other people as well), can extend his tires upwards, has retractable jail bars in his back seat for transporting criminals, and has a powerful engine he keeps in his back trunk. His artificial intelligence also has a laid-back personality. The Gadgetmobile openly breaks the law constantly (he is a particular fan of back turns), but he claims it's okay: "Speed limits are for cars, not the Gadgetmobile." The Gadgetmobile's voice is provided by D. L. Hughley. Soundtrack The soundtrack of the film contains the single "I'll Be Your Everything" by the boy band Youngstown. Sequel On March 11, 2003, a direct-to-video sequel called Inspector Gadget 2 was released, with only D. L. Hughley returning. No news or confirmation has been said about production on Inspector Gadget 3. References External links * [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141369/ Inspector Gadget at the Internet Movie Database] * [http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v180249 Inspector Gadget at AllRovi] * [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=inspectorgadget.htm Inspector Gadget at Box Office Mojo] * [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inspector_gadget/ Inspector Gadget at Rotten Tomatoes] Category:Films